Roy Johns, a founder at Chennault Museum and chairman of the board of the Friends of Chennault, recounts his naval experiences during World War II.

Written by

William Caverlee Special to The News-Star

One of the most famous images of World War II is that of Gen. Douglas MacArthur wading ashore in the Philippines Oct. 20, 1944 as he fulfilled the promise he had made two years earlier: "I shall return."

As it happens, Monroe resident Roy Johns was present that day, aboard the USS SC-991, a 110-foot submarine chaser in Leyte Gulf, watching the proceedings through his binoculars.

Today, Johns is a well-known Monroe architect and chairman of the Friends Board of the Chennault Aviation & Military Museum, but that day in 1944, he was a young naval officer in the midst of a combat tour in the Pacific. ...